WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA The banana crop is sensitive to grasses especially in the early stages of their growth compare to herbaceous dicot weeds. The major monocot weeds of banana fields are Cyperus rotundus, Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria marginata, and Eleusine aegyptium, and the dicot weed are Euphorbia spp, Polygonum plebejum, Portulaca oleracea, and Mimosa pudica. In banana cultivation grassy weed dominate the weed ecosystem whicvh accounts >60 per cent of the total weed population followed by broad leaved weed and sedges. Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Cynodon dactylon Pers. In black soils and in dryland is a noxious weed and once a field is infested with it, cultivation becomes impossible. It is considered as one of the ten worst weeds in the world and problematic in all tropical and subtropical areas in dry land and garden lands. It belongs to the family Graminae (Poaceae) and common name is Bahama Grass, Hariyali. In tamil it is called as Arugampullu Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Cynodon dactylon Pers. A perennial grass extensively creeping by means of scaly rhizomes or by strong flat stolons, very common in plains and hills slender and grows upto 7.5 to 30 cm height. The underground stems are hard, brittle, thick, pale white in colour and covered with short scale-leaves and occur at varying depth in soil. Leaves are linear, finely acute, 7.5 to 12.5 cm long, spikes 3 to 6. Propagated by through seeds and underground stolons. Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Cyperus rotundus L Family is Cyperaceae and common name is Nut Grass, Nutsedge. In tamil it is called as Korai kizhangu. Stoloniferous, stolons not bulbiferous, stems trigonous, up to 1 m high, and tubers not zoned. Stem sparsely tufted. Leaves shorter or longer than stem, narrow, numerous, bracts usually 3 and up to 60 cm long. Previous Next End

Cyperus rotundus L Floral biology: . spikelets spreading, linear to lanceolate, up to 2.5 cm long; glumes imbricate, plicate, pale-brown or chestnut-brown, sometimes with a reddish tinge; nut trigonous, broadly obovoid, grayish-black Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Portulaca oleracea L. It is a succulent broad leaved weed and it belongs to the family Portulacaceae. Common name is Indian Purslane. In tamil it is called as Paruppu Keerai. The main stem is short and erect bearing a number of lateral branches which lie prostrate on the ground, they grow to a length of 4-20 inches and are green or reddish in colour. Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA The leaf-stalk is short. Flowers are without stalks, from 2-6 in number and are collected together in clusters at the ends of branches. Sepals are 2 and fleshy; they are united at the base and are free above. Petals are 5 and are yellow in colour. Fruit is dry, dehiscing transversely by the upper part enclosed by the sepals, coming off as a lid leaving the lower part in the plant. Seeds are minute, blackish brown in colour and are covered with concentric lines of tubercles. Propagation is by seed. Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Euphorbia geniculata Ort. An exotic weed introduced recently and now common in dryland, garden land and on bunds in wet lands.It is a broad leaved weed and it belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae. It is a annual herb with latex in all parts. Stem is round in shape. Leaves simple, ovate, alternate, opposite above. Previous Next End

Euphorbia geniculata Ort. Involucre small, in dense corymbose cymes and monoecious. Flowers combined to form a cyathium; bracteoles many, setaceous; male Flowers several surrounding a solitary female flower. Seeds are dark grey, truncate at the lower end. Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Mimosa pudica L. An introduced weed form Tropical America now wild in dry, wet and garden lands, gregarious in habit.It is broad leaved weed and it belongs to the family Leguminosae (Mimosoideae) Common name is Touch Me Not. In tamil name it is called as Thotta vadi. Fast spreading, diffuse, copiously branched, prostrate perennial herb. Stem and branches covered with prickles. Previous Next End

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN BANANA Leaves bipinnate, digitate, leaflets 24-40 sensitive to touch, nearly sessile, glabrous. Flowers small, pink, polygamous, in globose heads, solitary or in pairs, bracteoles bristly; calyx very small, campanulate shortly 4-toothed; corolla of 4 petals, connate at the base. stamens Pod 3-4 seeded, sutures with many spreading bristles, breaking into a number of 1 seeds bits. Propagation by means seeds. Previous Next End

Reference Gupta, O.P. 1998. Weed management - Principles and Practices. Agro Botanical Publishers, Bikaner. Rao, V.S.1994. Principles of Weed Science. Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. Subramanian, S., A.Mohamed Ali and R.Jayakumar. 1997. All about weed control. Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi. C. Chinnusamy, N.K. Prabhakaran P. Janaki K. Govindarajan. 2009. Compendium on Weed Science Research in Tamil Nadu (25 years). AICPR-WC, Department of Agronomy, TNAU, Coimbatore - 641 003 K. A.A. Kabeer and V.J. Nair. 2009. Flora of Tamil Nadu- Grasses. Botanical Survey of India, Kolkatta. Previous Next End

Assessment 1. Banana crop sensitive to ------------ type of weeds. Ans : Grassy 2.What is the Major monocot weeds in banana fiels ? a. Portulaca oleracea b. Mimosa pudica c. Cyperus rotundus 3. In banana cultivation grassy weed dominate the weed ecosystem which accounts ---------- % of the total weed population followed Ans : >60 % 4. what is the tamil name of Mimosa pudica L a. Korai kizhangu. b. Thotta vadi c. Arugampullu Previous Next End